Rage and Terror
by Hgirl
Summary: “She’s just a baby, Horatio “Alexx was visibly shaken. For Mel’s three words challenge. The three words were: Calleigh, cupcake and terrifying. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Characters aren't mine.

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Chapter 1

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As Horatio arrived at the crime scene, his professionalism took over. He was brought up to speed by detective Yelina Salas in a businesslike manner as they walked alongside.

"Victim's name is Josie Brendan, age 10. Multiple stab wounds. Found in the back of Luis' corner store. The owner, mister Forentini has reportedly called the Miami-Dade PD after finding her dead in his back store." Yelina described it as horribly gruesome and Horatio felt a sting of pain. Child cases were the hardest ones to deal with.

"The parents are asking the police to release their daughter to give her a proper burial - "

"They do know we need Josie to continue the investigation - " he said almost in the form a question. Horatio wondered why the parents didn't want to help find who did this to their daughter.

Yelina read his thoughts and answered, "They just want to forget."

Horatio's face showed deep sadness even if he tried as hard as he could to prevent it from being seen even from behind his dark sunglasses.

He pulled the yellow crime scene tape over Yelina's head and entered the corner store behind her taking mental notes.

Nothing seemed to be disturbed so he ruled out the motive of an escape robbery.

He glanced at the store clerk and stopped to catch Yelina's eye. She knew what he wanted to know. "The store's owner has been questioned by the PD and Mister Forentini says he'll do anything to help –"

"I'm sure he won't mind being questioned and have his prints taken, will he?"Horatio quipped.

He walked over to where Eric was standing and told him: "Eric - "

"I'm on it, H," Eric replied briskly as he directed the store's owner outside. "I'm gonna ask you to come with me sir - " Eric told Mr. Forentini.

Horatio knew what he was going to come across as he pushed the already ajar door leading to the back of the store. He's seen so many of these cases but he still feels his insides tug down, nausea threatening to overcome his cool exterior every time he approaches a new one. The bad taste in the back of his mouth tells him that one more justice needs to be served.

He looked around and about but, immediately, he was struck by the scene. His black shades hid the sad eyes overwhelmed with sorrow. Alexx was kneeling over the young girl. The victim had straight blond hair pulled back with an elastic and her clothes were scattered near her body. Horatio immediately looked to the corner of the room, spotted the camera and told Speed to tell Eric to process the scene and ordered him to go back to the lab with the videotape.

He reached for his sunglasses and placed them in his front suit pocket.

"Alexx, what have we got?" he asked gently, kneeling beside Woods.

"She's just a baby, Horatio - " Alexx was visibly shaken.

She lifted the sheet covering the young girl's body from chest down, bringing some decency to this horrendous act. Alexx showed Horatio the damage: "Poor sugar has multiple bruises on shoulders and arms, eight stabs wounds to the stomach and chest- I'm sorry sweetheart- this shouldn't happen to anyone - " Alexx caressed the child's hair.

Knowing the body is designed to nail the bad guy, Horatio asked: "Okay, Alexx, what else?"

"Liver temp is barely two degrees below normal indicating she died recently, like the... last hour - " She surprised herself as she said it aloud and turned to look at Horatio's face.

"Mmm. Meaning the killer could still be near. Ok, thanks Alexx" he rushed out of the room. 

"No problem" she replied, but he was already gone.

Horatio walked briskly passed the police officers at the scene and came across his ballistics expert.

"Thought you could use some help - " Calleigh said with a small smile and her evidence kit in hand. Her face took a serious expression as she noticed the pain in Horatio's eyes.

"Thanks, Cal" he touched her shoulder, as he breezed by her. This wasn't the right time to deal with his feelings, there was priority; a child had been murdered.

That's a man with a plan, she thought silently.

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

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Chapter 2

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"Okay. Is it possible that someone could have entered through the back?" Horatio stood asking Mr. Forentini, scrutinizing the store clerk. The clerk hadn't noticed anyone out of the ordinary coming in from the front. He knew his customers; most of them were regulars.

"No, Lieutenant, the back door is locked from the inside and the door to go in the back store has a bell that goes off when someone walks in." Speed had only someone exiting through the back door on tape. Those back store cameras weren't as effective as the other ones in the store so owners often used a motion sensor to keep track of ins and outs.

"Right. Ok. Hang on a second." Horatio walked out of the interrogation room, flipping the cell phone on in his hand, leaving Yelina behind in the interrogation room.

He dialled, letting the door close.

"Hey, Calleigh, it's me."

"Hey Horatio - " her lively voice was great to hear. Frankly, she could never hide the happiness she had when he called her.

"Listen, I want you to find the motion sensor of the back store's inner door, there must be some kind of magic eye near the frame or on the wall-" Calleigh walked towards the door and carefully searched for it. She spotted a small plastic box hanging on the wall.

"Yeah, I've got it – but it's been bashed in, Horatio."

"Thanks Cal."

"No problem - "

"Take care," he told Calleigh before flipping his cell phone shut.

Horatio walked back into the interrogation room and leaned towards Mr. Forentini. "Were you aware that the devise was damaged?" Horatio questioned the man, gaze pausing on Yelina who was surprised to hear this.

Wide-eyed Mr. Forentini replied shaking his head, "No, not at all."

"Okay, think back- when was the last time you heard the ring go off - "

"It worked this morning, I remember because it was quiet, not so many customers, and when Danny took the Pepsi bottles in the back, the bell ringed."

"Danny is one of the three boys who work for you, along with Marco and José." Yelina said it more as a question than a statement.

Mr. Forentini turned to her. "Yes. I can run the shop mostly myself except on the weekends when it gets too busy so I do the cash register and the boys take turns filling the fridges, the shelves, cleaning up- you know, the usual -"

"Okay - who was working with you today?" Horatio asked.

"José. His shift started at four o'clock but he didn't show up so I called up Danny to fill in. I was so busy with all the customers -" the owner trailed off.

"Alright. At approximately what time did you call Danny?"

"Four... ah... four seventeen, I remember looking at the clock."

"That can be verified. Tell me what happened after that -"

The interrogation went on. The owner of the store was kind enough to be questioned voluntarily. He said he was very busy with the customers and when he heard screaming from the back of the store, he turned just for instant to see the back store through the small black and white television set and saw someone exit the back door. Then, he picked up the phone immediately dialing the police.

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Horatio's cell phone rang.

"H, it's Speed."

"Yeah, how we doin' Speed?"

"We got a problem - "

"What's that?"

"Weak security system - camera didn't catch the killer's face or the act."

"Yeah, no surprise there."

"However, camera did get him exiting through the back door - "

"Which confirms Luis' aliby."

"Wait there's more- as he's leaving through the back, the sun catches on something he's carrying - something shiny that reflects light - I'm thinking the murder weapon - "

"He wiped it before exiting - Good work, Speed."

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Horatio entered the autopsy lab a few minutes after receiving a page from Alexx. "Hey Alexx, results from the rape

kit - "

"Yeah." She sighed. "Fortunately, no sign of sexual assault but she's bruised up - a lot, Horatio. I recovered fingerprints right here," Alexx pointed to the young girl's arm. "Sent them over with Calleigh."

"So he's not experienced - "

"And not too bright either. I also handed swabs to Calleigh. I think he was messy and cut himself while doing the job."

"Rare are those who don't nick themselves."

Horatio's eyes narrowed.

"Horatio?" she asked softly, "what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that the victim was found undressed and even though there's no sign of sexual assault - "

"It's still a sexual crime."

"Exactly."

"Alright, Alexx, I'm gonna check up on the rest of the team - you take care."

"Will do."

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"Hey, you're just in time - " Calleigh smiled.

"Talk to me - " Horatio strode towards the stool where Calleigh sat.

"I can tell you that the stab wounds are a perfect match to the weapon found at the scene and - "

He cut her off "Wait a second, no one told me we found the murder weapon - "

"Eric brought it just a minute ago - " she reached for the plastic evidence bag containing a knife. "He found it in the dumpster behind the store."

"Blood?"

"Yeah, found some under the knife's handle - belongs to the victim. I've compared the fingerprints taken from the murder weapon with the one Alexx gave me from the girl's arm and they're a match."

"Did you run them through AFIS?"

"And CODIS, came up with nada," she said with disappointment.

"So, what we know is that the killer is inexperienced, messy and a first-timer."

"Calleigh, nice job."

She smiled proudly at his approval.

"Where's Eric now?"

Horatio's pager went off. "Hang on a second - " Horatio unhooked his pager, reading recognizing the number. He shook his head and told her, "Never mind. Gotta go - "

He swiftly left the lab and Calleigh was left saying "Bye, take care, keep me posted - " to the decompression of air from the lab door closing with a squeak.

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"Eric - "

"Hey H. I processed the scene and found four different sets of footprints. One belongs to Mr. Forentini, the three other ones I don't know yet."

Speed pitched in "They look like converse sneakers to me."

"Three pairs?" Horatio asked.

Eric answered "I could tell because one is a size over the other two and one is brand new compared to the worn out sole of the other - "

"Okay, let's start with Marco, let's go pay him a visit - " Horatio said determined to find out the truth.

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"Ma'am, may we speak to your son?" Eric asked the woman standing in the doorway of her home. After coming up at a dead end with Marco who had gotten in a fight at school and had been stuck in detention until 6 o'clock, Horatio had decided to question Danny.

"What's this about?" she asked eyes going over the three individuals in front of her porch.

"Mrs. Morgan, we just want to ask Danny a few questions - " Detective Salas tried to ease a mother's concern.

"Fine," she spat and turned, letting the screen door close on its own, calling after her son.

Horatio took hold of the doorknob and motioned Yelina and Eric to enter.

The house was small but well taken care of in this considerably bad neighbourhood. The most surprising about the inside of the Morgan's home was the religious deco. The paintings, the numerous statues and trinkets... All symbolized the Catholic faith.

Danny's mother yelled again "Danny, get down here right this minute!" as she walked towards the kitchen. The two CSIs and the detective followed, noticing crosses hung over every door, prayers written on sheets of paper taped in the corner of a mirror in the living room and many votive candles placed here and there. Mrs. Morgan returned to baking cupcakes in the kitchen, gesturing the visitors to stay put. A cupcake would be good right about now, Eric thought silently, as the pleasant smell reached his nostrils and his stomach growled in response.

A scrawny teenage boy strolled down the stairs. Eric's hunger was forgotten when he noticed the Converse sneakers.

TBC...


	3. Chapter 3

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Chapter 3

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"Horatio." Eric glanced in the direction of the boy's sneakers.

"Yeah." Horatio nodded, pushing back his suit jacket to rest his hands on his hips and show the teenager his badge. "Danny, I'd like to take a look at your shoes -"

Danny looked at his feet. Putting his hands in his jean pockets he asked, "Why?"

"To rule you out as a suspect." Eric chimed in.

"You were at Luis' corner store earlier today, no?" Detective Salas questioned.

He nodded, nervously wiping his peach fuzzed chin with his shoulder.

"C'mon, man. Let's see you shoes," Eric prodded slapping on a pair of latex gloves.

The young CSI took a sample of what looked like dried blood. "These new?" Eric questioned.

Danny mother, Mrs. Morgan filled them in, "I bought them for him a few days ago."

Horatio tilted his head looking at the label inside the shoe, "Size eight."

The three officers now knew that he was most probably involved with the murder of little Josie. If that was blood on his shoe, he, at the very least, was there. They were definitely capable of getting a DNA sample from this new break.

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"I want everyone in the layout room," Horatio had said poking his head in the DNA lab.

The entire team sat around the table as Horatio asked them to do a recap on the evidence gathered so far.

Speed went first, "Blood from Danny's converse sneakers is a match to the victim's."

"So, we know he was there." Horatio nodded, "Eric."

Eric continued, "Blood found under the knife handle was Josie's. No prints though. It was wiped clean."

"Okay, he still could have ran off scared like he said, arriving after the crime took place and stepping into the pool of blood," Horatio thought aloud.

"Yes, but the killer left a souvenir on her arm," Calleigh showed them the retraceable fingerprint. "Recovered all thanks to Alexx." Calleigh smiled.

"Except we don't have enough to get his prints -" Horatio informed.

"Well, we got his DNA, didn't we?" Eric asked.

"Yes, because it was useful to determine who's blood was at the scene for reconstruction - " Horatio replied calmly.

"We're so close, H," Eric whined.

"We've got to get him to talk," Horatio quipped.

"Hey, speaking of body fluids," Speed told the group, "I swabbed Josie and discovered tears on her cheeks. Hers, as you would expect but something else too - "

"Speed, you gonna keep us hanging or what, man?" Eric enquired.

"It can't be hair or fibers because I was all over Josie and found nothing," Eric added.

"Nope. I'm talking about saliva. Same salinity as tears so it's easy to miss," Speed explained.

"But it had Danny's DNA..." Calleigh guessed.

Horatio stayed silent looking down at the floor.

"We got him." Eric said with intensity.

"Horatio? What are you thinking?" Calleigh glanced at him.

"Here's what I think: I think I was wrong about the type of crime this is. This is an asexual crime."

"What? How so?" Speed asked.

"Notice anything peculiar about the Morgan residence?" He asked Eric.

"Uh. Yeah. Family seemed to be very pious. So? Where are you going with this, H?"

"The young man is immature and probably sexually inhibited, having been raised in a religious, but I think, non abusive background."

"A teenage boy stabbing a prepubescent girl to death isn't out of rage?"

Speed joined in, "H, he had her undress - "

Horatio replayed the scene in his mind...

Danny didn't want to hurt her. He simply undressed her. At this point, he had no desire to touch her and made no attempt to harm her. 

"What happens when the victim begins to whimper and cry?" Horatio asked.

"Killer loses his cool -" Eric said.

"I don't think he had planned to kill her. The recovered knife was a weapon of opportunity - "

The frightened child began to whimper and cry. Danny then felt threatened by exposure and urgently told her to be still, which only further frightened her. In an attempt to silence her, in a combination of rage and terror, he picked up the knife that was at hand and stabbed her repeatedly and incessantly to death. 

"Okay, but Boss, why are you frying your brain over this," Speed wondered. "We got the guy. We have evidence that proves he did it."

"Yes," Horatio nodded, "but I wanna know why."

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"Danny, how old are you?" Horatio asked sitting in front of Danny in the interrogation suite A.

"I'm fifteen."

"Fifteen. Okay." Horatio was leaning on the table hands clasped, "Wanna tell us what happened today at the store where you work?"

Danny shook his head, "No."

Speed shifted in his seat next to Horatio, "This is your chance to clear this up, pal," he told Danny.

His mother placed a hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to say anything."

"Actually, we already know what happened, Mrs. Morgan," Horatio clued-in.

"Then, if you know what happened, why are you asking my son?"

"With the evidence my team has gathered, we know how it happened but I want to know what lead up to that." Horatio tipped his head, "Ma'am, would you mind us talking with your son alone?" The mother didn't believe in lawyers and had refused one.

"I suppose I should cooperate so my son and I can go home tonight." She refused to think her son had done anything wrong.

Danny looked uneasily at his mother sitting next to him.

"Ma'am, either way, your son is going to reform school because we know he killed her," Speed placed the photograph of Josie in front of the suspect.

Danny's eyes filled with tears and he looked away. His mother saw the terrifying expression on his face.

She gasped in disbelief. "Danny, you know this little girl?"

"Ma'am, I'd ask you to please leave the room," Horatio said.

"I want the truth, Danny," she yelled, standing up and pointing a finger at her son. "You've been lying to me! To the police!"

"Ma'am, please," Horatio asked, "Yelina, please escort Mrs. Morgan outside."

Yelina leaded Danny's mother out.

Horatio looked at the dark mirroring glass and motioned for someone with his finger. A woman with shoulder-length curly brown hair entered the interview suite on Horatio's cue.

"Danny, this is Caroline. She's a psychologist and she's going to help you through this." Caroline was a brilliant psychologist that Horatio knew well. She could make anyone trust her and open up.

Horatio and Speed left the room and stood behind the glass. Yelina exited the room with them and crossed her arms over her chest impatiently. Caroline did magic on Danny and excused herself from the room.

At the same time, Horatio and Speed went into the hallway to get her analysis.

Speed went straight to the point, "You got what you needed from the fact that he never had any sexual experiences with girls?"

"Yes, Tim. You see, I've dealt with a case similar to this before."

"You have? So, what do you make of it?" Speed was getting annoyed by all the standing around. They had proof that the teenager had killed the young girl and he wanted him to pay.

"I'd bet on my career that he's never been able to achieve an orgasm through, you know, masturbation."

Speed exhaled, shaking his head.

"Go on, Caroline," Horatio asked gently, not paying attention to Speed.

"Well, I have a feeling that after some time, he became frustrated with his inability to reach the high point."

Horatio continued, "He became anxious and agitated."

"Yes, the added indignity that frenzied him was the humiliation of having exposed his impotence to the child..." Caroline explained.

"Who then, through her cries, threatened to further expose him as a child molester," Horatio concluded.

"Incredible," Speed said.

TBC...


	4. Chapter 4

H/C. A/N: Take it or leave it, as the case is already closed. I just couldn't help myself. Dedicated to the H/C Yahoo Group!

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Chapter 4

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Horatio handed Calleigh a cup of coffee, "What a day, huh?" Just when he thought he'd seen it all... another bizarre case had landed on his desk. He sat closely behind his desk, leaning on his forearms. He watched her sit back and take a sip.

"Mmm."

"Good?" he asked pleased to see her enthusiasm.

"I needed that," she confirmed.

He locked eyes with her and knew, by the way she was looking at him, that he had to say something.

"Listen Calleigh, about what happened the other day..."

"Think nothing of it... I've already forgotten what happened," she lied.

"Have you?" He desperately tried to keep a straight face but it drained of color.

"I should know better than to share my personal life with my boss. I'm sorry I did," the setting was all business and she wished to God it would stay platonic because her heart was on her sleeve again and Horatio's office was no place for anything intimate. Something her body ached for.

"No, Calleigh, I want you to be comfortable coming to me for whatever reason." His eyes left hers, "I was out of line." The fact that he blamed himself for having stepped up only attracted her more. Hesitantly, she advanced emotionally in the deep waters, excitement reveled from the danger of such a thing with her supervisor.

"I don't like being that vulnerable. I was still upset from my breakup with John, unsure about myself, about who I was." She wiped the rim of her coffee cup with her thumb, "I guess I just needed someone to talk to and it turned out to be you," she looked in his eyes and was lost in them.

"Don't ever hesitate to do so."

No words were exchanged but the non-verbal communication spoke clearly. Her breathing intensified and Calleigh couldn't tear her eyes away from his lips. Those soft narrow lips. 'Don't lose your grip, Calleigh' she thought.

In her mind, she remembered how he had offered his hand to accompany him in the forbidden pool of lust. Remembered being pinned against the wall, his lips claiming hers to show her how much she was loved. How he saw her as a beautiful desirable woman. She had escaped his hold and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer, in dire need of being cared after what happened with John.

"Horatio - " she whispered completely enthralled by the electricity between them. She felt the rise and fall of her chest, saw his penetrating gaze.

He set his coffee down and took hers, putting it aside as well.

Mouth agape, she leaned forward as did he and all his senses were awakened by her fragrance.

Soon, his hands were in her hair, bringing her to meet his lips. The kiss deepened and Horatio had to break away in order to go around his desk and be close to her.

This isn't right, this is so wrong, her conscience screamed but Calleigh's heart was overwhelmed.

Her hands moved over his body.

"Not here," Horatio whispered and he took her hand, leading her out of his office, locking the door, intending on taking her home with him.

THE END


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